Early last month, someone set up a dome tent close enough to the edge of the road, near the trailhead at Ragged, that it was easy to see. Now that the forest has filled in, you really need to look for it – but it’s still there.
The first time I saw it, the front door was partially unzipped and it was the same way today. It’s not a coincidence – it’s abandoned. Which is both annoying and a relief.
It’s annoying that someone left a perfectly good tent behind, disrupting the flow of things. But it’s a relief because anyone putting a tent that close to the road probably isn’t dealing with a full deck.
Anyway.
Today I heard my first chipmunk of the season. Things were getting a little weird because this is chipmunk country and you hear them all year long, but not this year. This year there has been a heavy deficit in chipmunks. To the point of speculation and concern. But everything has been weird out there because of global warming and whatever else is screwing with the schedule of things.
Case and point, Trout Lillies and Bloodroot flowers always pop before Fiddleheads, but Fiddleheads had been unfurled for a solid week before I saw the first Trout Lily. I haven’t seen any Bloodroot. Weird weather patterns have shifted things around.
Another thing I’ve noticed is a general lack of people out on the trail. I’m not complaining – it’s everything I’ve ever wanted – but Ragged has gotten a little Ragged and I think it keeps folks to the main trail and off the side adventures.
By nature, we avoid conflict. A tree down on the path creates a disruption in the flow of things and is a form of conflict and it conflicts with you being able to venture onward without removing the tree. I’m an up-and-over person – I don’t much mind a tree down in my path unless it’s connected to a hornet’s nest. But most people would rather turn around and spread the news to avoid that path altogether.
This has led to the overgrowth of Garlic Mustard which tends to only grow in areas that are generally left alone. Even in our yards, this time of year, you’ll only find them clinging around the perimeter of your pool, firepit, or back side of your shed. Seeing so much out on the trail today was a clear sign that I was the first traveler to travel those hallowed grounds in quite some time.
And that’s all right by me.
Tribe Of Flannel 